Chapter One

0705 Hours
Lying in the tall grass, hidden from the trail below, a lone figure focuses the scope of the rifle until the image is crystal clear and the crosshairs align with the small hole in the window.
Slowly, he applies pressure to the trigger increasingly, until the sear disengages and releases the hammer to fall against the firing pin. The recoil rocks the shooter back slightly as air refills the vacuum left by the bullet exiting the barrel at supersonic speed. Carefully, refocusing on the small hole in the window, the shooter makes sure that he has done what he was sent to do. Satisfied the bullet had struck where he intended, he quickly breaks
down the rifle, stows it in the carrying case, vacates his perch atop the hill unseen and hurries off to take care of one small detail, then to the spaceport to claim his seat on the space liner.

Ministry of Defense, Paradise Nine Office of the Commanding Officer, United Defense Force, Paradise Nine, 0800 Hours

Glancing down at the communiqué lying on his desk, General J-Pok reached across the desk and activated the holographic Communications remote. "General J-Pok here, you better put the Minister on immediately. It looks like war." "I'm sorry, but the Defense Minis--" J-Pok slammed his fist down onto the desk and deactivated the remote. "That woman isn't going to tell me the Minister is indisposed and doesn't know when he will be back." J-Pok rose and headed for the door. "I know his schedule and that old doddering fool is in his office now!"